South Nassau Opens New Center for High-Risk Pregnancy Care

Only Center of its Kind on Long Island’s South Shore
Welcomes Families in Need of Specialized Maternal Fetal Medicine & Genetic Counseling

South Nassau Communities Hospital has opened a new Center for Maternal Fetal Medicine, the only dedicated center of its kind for high-risk pregnancies on the South Shore of Nassau County.

The Center, located at 8 Oceanside Road in Rockville Centre, steps away from the main Oceanside hospital campus, will allow highly skilled and specially trained obstetricians to combine advanced medical technology with genetic counseling to provide the specialized care mothers and their fetuses may need to monitor and manage high-risk conditions.

"A pregnancy that is or may become complicated can be extremely upsetting for any parent," said Alan Garely, MD, FACS, FACOG, chair of obstetrics and gynecology at South Nassau Communities Hospital. "Our new Center offers the specialists, advanced technologies and services that enable parents to take an active role in assuring the best possible outcome for their pregnancy, while alleviating the burdens of their concerns and uncertain feelings.”

“This new center represents South Nassau’s ongoing commitment to bring the highest level of specialty services to the South Shore, so residents in the communities we serve can obtain high-end care close to home,” said Richard J. Murphy, South Nassau’s president & CEO.

The $3 million center provides comprehensive maternal-fetal care and services and is staffed by specially trained obstetricians known as maternal fetal medicine sub-specialists. They utilize advanced diagnostic and treatment technologies and techniques, including specialized comprehensive ultrasound, genetic testing and counseling, advanced fetal monitoring, to closely monitor the condition of the child and mother and guide the progress of the pregnancy. The Center also features a modern design and decor with comfortable furnishings.

Dina El Kady, MD, FACOG, director of the Center and chief of the division of maternal fetal medicine at South Nassau, has over 15 years of experience in the high-risk field. "Every day, our team of experts, including specialized physicians, genetic counselors and MFM nurses and sonographers work to create the best possible care plans for our patients,” she said. “I am so pleased to be able to bring this type of expert, specialized care to the South Shore and look forward to working with expecting parents across Long Island.”

The Center’s ultrasound lab, which is certified by the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine, uses high frequency ultrasound systems to create a 2D or 3D image of the uterus, cervix, placenta and fetus to monitor the progression of pregnancies and evaluate fetal well-being, detect fetal anomalies and monitor the baby’s growth.

Genetic testing, typically done through blood tests, provides information and support to women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant to discuss possible genetic risk. Testing is effective at identifying risk factors such as advanced maternal age, inherited illnesses and disorders, congenital anomalies and recurrent miscarriages, which is essential to establishing the best possible plan of care for both mother and child.

Fetal echocardiography is used to detect possible congenital heart defects or disease. Similar to ultrasound, it allows the physician to see the structure and function of unborn child’s heart.

Dr. El Kady is board-certified in maternal fetal medicine and obstetrics and gynecology. She earned her medical degree from New York Medical College and completed her internship and residency in obstetrics and gynecology at The Brooklyn Hospital Center and a fellowship in maternal fetal medicine at the University of California, Davis.

She is joined by Jonathan Y. Rosner, MD, who is also board-certified in maternal fetal medicine and obstetrics and gynecology. He obtained his medical degree from SUNY Downstate Medical Center and completed his residency training at North Shore University Hospital and his fellowship at NYU Langone Medical Center. He serves as chair of South Nassau’s Obstetrical Performance Improvement Committee.

Dr. El Kady and Dr. Rosner are complemented by a patient care team of highly qualified registered nurses (RNs) and nurse practitioners (NPs) and experienced maternal fetal medicine sonographers. Certified in fetal monitoring, the RNs and NPs assist with fetal monitoring, administering medications, blood tests, collecting specimens, educating mothers and coordinating care plans for both mother and fetus. The sonographers are registered in obstetrical imaging and credentialed by the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonographers (ARDMS). They have advanced knowledge regarding various fetal conditions and anomalies and are skilled in identifying high-risk fetal conditions.

For more information, visit South Nassau Center for Maternal Fetal Medicine or to schedule an appointment, please call 1-877-South-Nassau.

South Nassau is one of the only hospitals in the area that offers private rooms to all new mothers in its maternity suites. South Nassau has multiple accreditations, designations and awards for its women’s health services including accreditation from the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers; Baby-Friendly Hospital designation; Becker’s Hospital Review "100 Hospitals with Great Women's Health Programs" and Healthgrades’ Top 10 Percent of Hospitals Evaluated for Gynecologic Procedures, Gynecologic Procedures Excellence Award, Superior Performance in Gynecologic Procedures Award, and 5-Star Recipient for Hysterectomy.

Designated a Magnet® hospital by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) for outstanding nursing care, South Nassau® Communities Hospital is one of the region’s largest hospitals, with 455 beds, more than 900 physicians and 3,500 employees. Located in Oceanside, NY, the hospital is an acute-care, not-for-profit teaching hospital that provides state-of-the-art care in cardiac, oncologic, orthopedic, bariatric, pain management, mental health and emergency services.

In addition to its extensive outpatient specialty centers, South Nassau provides emergency and elective angioplasty, and offers Novalis Tx™ and Gamma Knife® radiosurgery technologies. South Nassau operates the only Trauma Center on the South Shore of Nassau County verified by the American College of Surgeons as well as Long Island’s only free-standing, 9-1-1 receiving Emergency Department in Long Beach.

South Nassau is the only hospital on Long Island in 2018 to achieve Healthgrades America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Orthopedic Surgery™, Orthopedic Surgery Excellence Award™ and 5-star rating for Total Hip Replacement, and it was one of just two hospitals on Long Island to achieve Healthgrades 5-stars in Hip Fracture Treatment.

South Nassau also is a designated Stroke Center by the New York State Department of Health and Comprehensive Community Cancer Center by the American College of Surgeons, and is an accredited center of the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Association and Quality Improvement Program.

In addition, the hospital has been awarded the Joint Commission’s gold seal of approval for disease-specific care for hip and knee replacement, heart failure, bariatric surgery, wound care and end-stage renal disease. For more information, visit www.southnassau.org.